The month of April is designated in the State of Wisconsin as Sexual Assault Awareness month. For those who have been impacted by the brutality of these senseless acts the pain and suffering never truly vanishes. Historically the victimization of these crimes did not end with the act itself but unfortunately were further perpetrated by a culture of secrecy and transferred blame on the part of those who were attacked rather than the attacker. For many years these crimes were minimized or even justified based on the condition of the victim or even in some cases the very clothing that they were wearing at the time of the attack.
Fortunately, those days are over and we as a society have come to recognize the severity of sexual assault for what it is. We have striven to provide the greatest possible support for the victims while working towards the most severe level of accountability for the perpetrators. We have opened channels of communication to those who have had to live in the shadows of victimization allowing their voices to finally be heard. One of the organizations that have been instrumental in this transformation is our own Kewaunee County Violence Intervention Project. Having personally worked alongside these amazing advocates for change, I can attest to both their courage and their dedication in the area of victim support and community awareness. Below are some important dates for local awareness events.
April 4th is the Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action - VIP will be hosting a FREE Community Education Night on this day at ESI Hub in Algoma 5:30-7:30 for teens and adults of any gender.
The schedule for the evening is as follows: 5:30-6 Sexual Assault Prevention Education Presentation | 6-6:30 Break-Out Activity for youth and adults | 6:30-7 Self-Defense Class
April 5th is Start by Believing Day which is to bring attention to the importance of believing when someone discloses that they have been sexually assaulted.
April 18th is the Kewaunee County Volunteer Expo
April 26th is Denim Day which is a day that you can show your support for sexual assault victims and survivors by wearing denim. Denim day began after a ruling in a sexual assault case that determined that the victim had asked for it because she wore tight fitting jeans. We wear denim to support victims and survivors of sexual assault and to join together in communicating that the clothes we wear does not imply consent.
During this month of April there will be events held to bring awareness to the issue of sexual assault and to the many that have been and continue to be impacted. This year for Sexual Assault Awareness, the Violence Intervention Project will be busy at numerous locations.
Luxemburg-Casco and Algoma Schools are bringing VIP in to talk about Prevention Education throughout the month of April.
Outreach at Schools:
- Algoma Middle/High School April 14th
- Luxemburg-Casco High School April 24th
- Outreach Information Will Be Displayed:
- Bellin Health in Kewaunee, Algoma, and Luxemburg
- Door County Medical Center in Algoma
- Prevea in Kewaunee
- Algoma Library (along with book recommendations for all ages)
- Kewaunee Library (along with book recommendations for all ages)
- Algoma Middle/High School Entry
- Violence Intervention Project Yard
- Kewaunee County Courthouse
- Kewaunee County Bars - Giving out "What's In Your Glass" cards to test for drugs.
If any Institution or Businesses are interested in prevention education presentations, please call the Violence intervention office at: (920)487-2111 and ask for Heather to schedule a date and time.
Please take the time to join in supporting those affected by these senseless acts and bringing a greater awareness to our need as a society to rid our communities of Sexual Assault. Their Helpline number is: (920)837-2424
